New fire in Yosemite----

[John Kasaian]

In Historic Wawona this time.
The camp ground has been commandeered to house the fire crews and C-130 tankers have been launching from the Air Attack Base for two days now. Residents in the area have been warned that evacuation may be ordered at any time. The park is still open, however.

[Preston]

It is called the South Fork Fire. More on Inciweb (https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5502/)

There is a second fire in Yosemite called the Empire Fire (https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5475/) As of two days ago it was 1,320 Ac. and is burning 1 Mile South of Bridalveil Campground in Yosemite's Wilderness.

Both fires are creating smoky conditions with drift occurring at Tioga Pass.

If you plan to be in Yosemite, be sure to check current conditions, as well as trail closures due to these fires.
--P

[John Kasaian]

We just heard that Wawona is being evacuated. Yikes!

[tgtaylor]

I noticed that the Porcupine Creek campground is now open but the Yosemite Creek campground is still closed. I believe both were the original campgrounds along the Yosemite wagon road through the park before 120 was built. When I first camped in Yosemite Creek campground I got the feeling that this was an ancient campground. The bridge was out then and probably is still out.

Thomas

[Preston]

As of this morning, 8/20, the South Fork Fire (https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5502/) is 3,191 ac. and is 10% contained. Mandatory evacuations will remain in place for Wawona.
--P

[John Kasaian]

Yet another fire in the same vicinity, this one at Fish Camp along the Southern Yosemite Highway 41 outside the South Gate to the Park in the narrow gauge RR & Tenaya Lodge proximity. If you're heading for Yosemite this weekend, check the conditions first!

[Preston]

John, the new fire is called the Railroad Fire and is in Sierra NF. More at Inciweb (https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5553/).

Currently 920 Ac and 5% contained. There is a hard closure of Hwy 41 from Cedar Valley Drive to the South entrance to Yosemite National Park.

If you plan to visit Yosemite, you need to use either Hwy 140 or 120.
--P

[tgtaylor]

I was wondering yesterday where all the new smoke was coming from. Glacier Point road was closed yesterday also.

Thomas

[John Kasaian]

Fish Camp has been evacuated, including Tenaya Lodge

[Preston]

An update on Sierra fire activity...

Railroad Fire (https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5553/): 5,414 Acres, 10% contained. Extreme fire behavior. Evacuations and road closures still in effect.

Slinkard Fire (https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5559/) near Topaz Lake: 7,881 Acres, 20% contained. Travel restrictions in effect on HWY 395 from Bridgeport to the Nevada state line. Extreme fire behavior.

Empire Fire, Yosemite (https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5475/): 4,550 Acres, 55%. Road and trail still in effect.

South Fork Fire, Yosemite (https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5502/): 6,985 Acres, 47% contained. Moderate fire behavior.

Summit Complex, Stanislaus NF (https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5546/) on HWY 108 corridor: 1,427 Acres total for three lightning caused fires in the Dardanelle and Douglas areas. Moderate fire behavior. Some trail closures in effect, and voluntary evacuations of campgrounds on the Clark Fork road.

There is a lot of drift smoke from these fires impacting many areas making for unhealthy air. If you plan to travel, be sure to check current conditions, and above all--be safe.
--P

[tgtaylor]

The winds here in the bay area have shifted to offshore pulling-in all the smoke from the fires resulting in terrible air quality. However that resulted in a beautiful blood-red sunset yesterday over the Pacific at Ocean Beach where tens of thousands fled to avoid the oppressive heat: It hit 106F in downtown SF for an all-time high! Similar temperatures and air quality are forecast for today easing up somewhat on Labor Day and beyond.

Stay cool and hydrated out there.

Thomas

[Vaughn]

Heavy smoke here, too. Our main highway east (about 75 miles) has been closed a few days due to a fire on both sides...lots of structures burnt. Yesterday it hit 90F. Today it is up to 97F so far. I am so glad I do not fight wildfires anymore -- a young person's job. I did not do a whole bunch, but having fire in my face in the middle of nowhere wasn't what I call fun.

[Drew Wiley]

Gosh. Up 50 deg in a week. I'm sitting at my retouching station in the dkrm cause it's the coolest spot I have, but have run out of prints to retouch. Wonder if the bullwhip effect of this monsoons activity will hit me next wk with a big storm. Hopefully no more monster fires in the southern Sierra like the last few years.

[John Kasaian]

Yesterday one of my friends who works in Yosemite reported that there was a four hour wait just to get through the ranger station on 140.

[Drew Wiley]

The slowdown at that entry is to make certain nobody is trying to smuggle Fresno people into the Park!

[John Kasaian]

the slowdown at that entry is to make certain nobody is trying to smuggle fresno people into the park!

lol!

[Roger Thoms]

Yesterday one of my friends who works in Yosemite reported that there was a four hour wait just to get through the ranger station on 140.

I can confirm that wait. :) In a fit of spontaneity I decided to go over Tioga pass to get to Phoenix.

Roger

[Drew Wiley]

At the moment I'm a bit concerned about smoke from the Pier Fire above Porterville. It's allegedly at 17,000 acres right now with zero containment. As per wacky traffic, right on a record heat holiday, and everyone headed to Stinson Beach to cool down, they decided to close Hwy 1 for a repair. That forced all the traffic onto the tiny Muir Woods road, where they were stuck for hours on a 2-mile section. Glad I stayed home. The cool air arrived here around noon, while people headed for the beach were melting.

[John Kasaian]

I haven't smoked a cigarette in over 40 years. I spent this morning in Coarsegold and I think I made up for it:rolleyes:

[Drew Wiley]

I' m heading out of Courtright next weekend. Since that will be my low point, hopefully I'll be above any smoke. SEKI is claiming good air above 8500, but rather miserable air anywhere road altitude. The big fire is down in the brush of the Tule River, so I don't know where that goes except to settle in the SJ Valley. We had a weird orange sunset here on the Bay last nite; but today the wind direction changed and the air is clearing.

[tgtaylor]

The smoke has gotten really bad in the valley - skyrocketing to 220 micrograms per cubic meter yesterday!
http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Yosemite-wildfires-smoke-valley-Empire-South-Fork-12176803.php
https://www.nature.nps.gov/air/WebCams/parks/yosecam/yose_datatimelines_pm.cfm

Thomas

[Drew Wiley]

It's bad here on the Bay. But today's report says the air is clear at Mineral King now; and I'll be well north of there and a lot higher too. So it looks like a go for me. But another big fire could start anytime. The risk looks just as bad or even worse out of state. They just rescued several dozen backpackers squeezed between two big fires in Oregon. I'll be mostly above timberline, and am more worried about ice in a particular chute. I don't really want the extra weight of lugging ice gear. I'm getting old and lazy.

[Drew Wiley]

Trying to get accurate info on the Mission Fire. The North Fork area is being evacuated and the Governer has declared it a disaster area. It seems to be headed toward Mammoth Pool; but it's starting to look like a monster that could also shut down the south entrance to Yos. With so many dead pines around, the Bass Lake resort area could burn in an hour. Apparently the pine beetles never learned that climate change is a hoax.

[Darren Kruger]

Trying to get accurate info on the Mission Fire.

Inciweb page on the Mission fire: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5588/

-Darren

[Jim Fitzgerald]

It's bad here on the Bay. But today's report says the air is clear at Mineral King now; and I'll be well north of there and a lot higher too. So it looks like a go for me. But another big fire could start anytime. The risk looks just as bad or even worse out of state. They just rescued several dozen backpackers squeezed between two big fires in Oregon. I'll be mostly above timberline, and am more worried about ice in a particular chute. I don't really want the extra weight of lugging ice gear. I'm getting old and lazy.

Drew yes the Columbia River gorge is on fire since Saturday. Some idiot teenager thought it would be funny to throw fireworks down a canyon off of the Eagle Creek trail. 33,00acres and 5% contained. It is not good up here. Today was the first day that you could actually go outside. The smoke and ash in Vancouver has been very bad.

[Drew Wiley]

Thanks Jim & Darren. Well at least it looks like the Mission Fire has been bulldozer surrounded. If it got up onto Chiquito Ridge and a crown fire in those dead pines, there would have been no stopping it. I'm still waiting to learn if anyone I personally knew lost a home. But there were also some scruffy meth types back in there too.